Cluster-socket.



W. C. JONES.

CLUSTER SOCKET.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 20, 1906.

Patented Sept. 21, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. C. JONES.

CLUSTER SOCKET. APPLIGATION FILED 00120, 1906.

Patented Sept. 21, 1909.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 novel form of gluster for the reception of a passing through the openings in the casing,

- cial cluster socket of this type, the casing is WALTER CLYDE JONES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

cLUs'rEn.-,sooKE'r.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 20. 1906.

atented Sept. 21, 1909.

Serial No. 339,807.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, WALTER CLYDE Jones, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cluster-Sockets, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to'u cluster socket for electric lamps, my object. being to provide a plurality of lamps possessing features of advantage over those of the prior art.

In cluster sockets of the type to which the present invention relates, it has been customary'to provide a casing havin a plurality of openings to accommodate theIamp bases, the lamp receivers and contacts being all suitably mounted within this casing. In one of the commercial structures this casing has been held in position by means of bushings and screwing upon the exterior of the threaded shells; in order to gain access to the inte rior of the. socket, it is necessary to remove the bushings. In another form of conmierdetachable and when removed, carries with it the lamp receivers and contacts. This form is objectionable because the binding posts being carried upon the removable casmg, it is necessary to allow considerable slack inthe leading-inwires, Moreover, in connecting the binding screws, it is necessary to hold the casing in one hand, but a single hand being thus available for manipulating the binding srrews. In the type wherein the casing is held in place by the bushings, the casing, as an entity, is readily separable from the remainder of the structure and thus may be removed foncleaning, substitution or for other purpose. This entire-independence of the casing is considered a feature of commercial value. In the type wherein lamp receivers and contacts are removable with the casing, it is necessary to disassemble the entire cluster, in order to secure the separability of-the casing from the lamp receivers, contacts, bushings, etc. It is the'object of the resent invention to devise a construction wlnch, while possessing all of the advantages of the cluster sockets above mentioned, removes the disadvantages or objectionable features to which said spokets are subjected.

In accordance with the present invention Lprovide a suitable supporting part, which may be attached to the wall, conduit, or, in fact,any suitable support, and I secure the lamp receivers and contacts so that when mounted in position they are immovable with respect to this supporting or basic part. provide an inclosing casing having the usual openings for the passage of the lamp bases, and I detachably connect this casing with the supporting part by means of the well known bayonet joint or in any other desired manner. In order that the casing may be effectively insulatedfrom the lamp receiving shells, I provide insulating bushings of rubber, porcelain or similar insulating material, preferably porcelain, these insulating bushings or rings surrounding the threaded shells, but not extending through the openings in the casing, so that the, bushings do not interfere with the partial rotation of 'the casing necessary for manipulating the bayonet joint in attaching or detaching the casin By this construction, I am enabled to dispense with the necessity of removing the bushings in order to remove the casing while retaining the adaccordance with my invention, the casing may be removed and laid aside and both hands are available for manipulating the binding screws. Moreover, the objection due to the slack leading-in w resis obviated, and the leading-1n wires may be.

drawn taut before connection with the binding screws. I obtain all of the advantages of a separable casing which, when removed, is independent of the lamp re ceiving shells, contacts, etc, so that for cleaning the casing or substituting a new casing, it is unnecessary to disassemble the cluster structure.

eral different structures in the drawings of Figure 1 is a sectional View of one form of my socket; Fig. 2 is a detail elevation showinc" a bayonet joint for connecting; the casing with the support; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3---3 of Fig. 1; Fig. d s

a plan view of one of the contact plates;-

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of a modification of my invention; Fig. 6 is a detail view of one of thecontactplates shown in Fig. 5 Fig. 7 is a transverse section of still another modification of my in- 'vention: and Fig. 8 is a detailed view of the other of the contact plates.

According to one construction of my invention. l provide a suitable base or supporting part which, in the present instance, comprises a disk lilte plate 1, having a central annular flange 2. within which fits a block 3. provided with a screw-threaded opening for securing the disk upon a suitable. conduit or other projection. Secured to theunderside of this disk is a. porcelain base -'l-, provided with an annular flange 5,

through which screws or bolts 6 pass, to sellpon cure the saline upon the support 1.. the underside of the insulating base portion at is secured a contact plate T, which preferably comprises a, ring oi brass or other good conducting metal, and v has formed thereon projecting lugs 8. which are turned up, as illustrated. The contact plate 7 also has a downturued lugl), which carries on its an derside a binding postltl, to which one of the leading-in wires may be connected. Secured to the insulating" hdse tin such a manner that the'c ntact plate 7 lies between the same and the base 4. is a second auxiliary insulating base 11-, which is preferably held in position by means'of bolts 12, passing tl'ierethrough and having the ends thereof projecting. into an annular slot 13 on said base 4, said slot. being so constructed as to form a shoulder, against which the nuts of the bolts 12 are adapted to rest. The contact plate '4' has openings formed therein,

through which the bolts pass, of such diameter that danger of the bolts coming into electrical contact therewith is reduccd to the minimum. position a contact. plate let, in the form of a metal disk, which carries a binding post 15, to which the other of the supply wires is connected. the wires being arranged to bebrought down through a suitable opening 16 formed in the insi'ilatingbase. The contact. plate ll is provided with a number of integral yoke-shaped extensions 17, corresponding to the number of lamps in the cluster, and bent angularly upward to lie These bolts also secure in the various parts and is secured in position by means of bayonet joint connections 21, between the. upper end of said casing and a downturned flange 22 formed upon the supporting part 1. secured upon the exterior of the threaded shells 18 and are in close proximity to the casing 19, butdo not project through the openings thereof, whereby, while they serve to suitably insulate the casing from the.

threaded shells, they permit the casing 19 to be removed without removing the threaded bushings or without d'isturbin parts arranged Within the casing. I

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated a modification ofmy device, in which, instead of providing a baseof the structure shown in Fig. 1, I have provided an insulating base 24, which is in the form of a disk having a downwardly projecting central portion 25. The insulating base is secured in position upon the underside of the-supporting part 1, in any suitable manner, as by screws or bolts passing through thesame. Upon the lower side of the downwardly extending portion "1250f the insulating base is secured the contact plate 7 provided with upturned lugs t5. and the binding post 10. Instead of providing yoke-shaped extensions upon the contact plate 1 1-, I provide ring shaped extensions 26 thereon, which at their upper end have flange portions 27 arranged to be secured. to the underside of the disk 24-, whereby theeontactplate is secured in po- Sitlon. cured thereto thethji'eaded shells 18 in the same manner as in F ig. 1. By this construction a substantiah socket is formed, which more rigidly supports the lamps in their respective positions.

In Fig. 7 I have illustrated still another modification of my invention. It frequently occurs that, under certain circumstances, it is necessary to insulate the cover or casing trorn the supporting part and to this end, it will be noted by reference to Fig. 7, I have,

instead of forming a flange on the support ing part 1, formed a flange 28 upon an annular ring; 29 secured to the underside of the insulating base 24;. and that the dish portion 2% of the insulating base is of the same a Threaded bushings 23 are f e any of I the ltlil 'llO ' space between the ends of the shells and the casing may be depended upon forinsulation.

posts, a casing Having thus described my invention what tiers Patent is:

1. The combination with a suitable supporting plate, of an insulating base carried thereby, a plurality of lamp-receiving shells and associated contacts mounted upon said base, a pair of binding posts for said shells and contacts, said insulating base being provided with a central opening through which the circuit Wires pass to the binding posts, a casing having an opening opposite each of said lamp-receiving shells to accommodate the passage of the lamp-bases, and a readily separable locking-connection between said casing and supporting plate, said binding posts being so located-as to be accessible when said casing is removed.

2. The combination with a. suitable supporting plate, of an insulating base carried thereby, a plurality of lainp-receivi ig shell." and associated contacts mounted upon said base, a pair of binding posts for said shells and contacts, said insulating base being provided with a central opening through which the circuit Wires pass to the binding posts, a casing having an opening opposite each of said lamp-receiving shells to accommodate the passage of the lamp-bases. and a readily separable lockingconnection between the periphery of said casing and the periphery of said supporting plate.

3. The combination with a suitable supportin plate provided with an annular flange, of an insulating;- base carried by said plate, a plurality of lanip-recciving shells and associated center contacts mounted upon said base; a pair of binding posts for said shells and contacts, said insulating base bemg provided with a central openiugthrough which the circuit wires pass to the binding I having an opening opposite each oi said shells to aceonunodatc the passage of the lamp bases. and a readily separable lockirig-connection between the casing and the said annular flange on the support ing plate.

4. The combination with a supporting back plate, of an insulating base secured thereto, lamp-receiving shells and associated contacts mounted upon said base, binding terminals for said shells and contacts, said insulating base being centrally aperture-d for 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Leti l I l the passage of conductors to said binding terminals, a'casiiig having an opening opposite each of said lamp-receiving shells, and readily del 21("llt1l3l6 means independent of said '.l2lll.1)-lt'.(t0l\lllg shells for holding said casing in position, said binding terminals being so located to be disclosed by the removal of said casing.

5. The combination with a supporting back plate, of an insulating base carried thereby, a casing removable independently of said base. lanip-receivers and associated contacts supported by said base within said casing, i dating means carried by said lainp reci vcrs tor preventing electrical con tact of said lamp receivers with said casing, binding terminals normally covered by said casing and disclosed by the removal of said casing, said pass-agent wires to said biiidiii' terminals, aiid-nieai'zs located at the edge of said casing for securing the same in place,

(3. The (amibination with a supporting back plate, of an insulating base carried thereby and having a central aperture for the passage of conductors therethrough, lamp-receivers and associated contacts sup ported by said base, binding terminals for said rontacts and lainp-rcceivei's, a casing normally concealing said binding teriniiia '1 and arranged to disclose said binding ter- 'minals when removed, and means for pcri 'iherally locking; said casing in positi m. said lamp-receivers extending toward but stopping short of said casing so as to permit rotation of said casing to unlock the same. T. The combination with a supporting back plate. of a base secured thereto, a casin inclosing said base, lamp-receivers and associated contacts carried by said base, binding terminals for said contacts and lamp-receivers. means operatcd by turning said casing 't'or locking said casing in position, said lamp receivers extending toward but stoppingshort otsaid casing so as to permit turning of said casing to lock or unlock the same. and insulating rings carried by said lamp receivers to prevent electrical contact said receivers with said casing,

lu witness whereof. I have hereunto sub cribcd in name in the presence of two witnesses.

' WALTER Cliillll lVitnesses;

licuur l'lAiiN. I). It. Kine.

ii ii 

